PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4826, 27 March 1925, Page 2

PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

WAITAKARURU STREAM GAUGED. AMPLE FLOW AVAILABLE. Three times as much water as will be required for the proposed Hauiaki Plains West water supply scheme was found to be flowing in the Waitakaruru Stream on Wednesday at the point where it is proposed to erect the dam.

Considering the dryness if the weather during the last few' weeks, hnd the consequent lowness of all tne. creeks in the district, the result of the gauging can be considered as very satisfactory for the scheme. The measurement on Wednesday, made by officials of the Lands Drainage Department and the County Council, showed that 909,000 gallons flawed through the gauge in B4> hours In tiie proposed scheme submitted by Mr E. F. Adams, whom .the County Council employed for the purpose, the works, were designed to convey 300,000 gallons of water during 24 hours. Primarily, the scheme was designed to furnish water for daily cows, any other uses to be subsidiary to this, and, consequently, Mr Adams calculated the requirements of the area proposed to be reticulated on the number of cows likely to be in that arae. The allowance was twelve gallons per cow, and on the basis of 60 cows to 100 acres the requirement would be 122,400 gallons in 24 hours. Considering the large proportion of peat land and unimproved land in the .17,000 acres comprising the water supply area the estimate was looking ahead for many years.

In his report, which appeared in detail in our issue of September 1, 1924, Mr Adams showed how the water was to be distributed to the various sections in the area. Having supplied each section in accordance with the foregoing basis of requirements there would be available for general purposes 12,00’0 gallonjs every 24 . hours. Up to the present progress with the scheme has been slow. The Government lias insisted on the gauging o? the stream before giving consent to the proposal, and so far has not indicated its intention with regard to subsidising the work. There fe an agitation afoot to take the poll of ratepayers a’s soon as possible and get the work going.